As Long as I'm with You
by Jonathan Priest
Summary: Taking place after the game, Kite and BlackRose reflect on their adventure, and the feelings that have changed between them. KitexBlackRose. Please R
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own .Hack, so don't ask. Timeline: After .HackQuarantine.  
  
Dedications: To Goldberry, for always having great ideas and for giving me great reviews that inspire a lot of my stories. Thanks.  
  
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As Long as I'm with You  
  
'Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.' The angry Heavy Blade berated herself as she paced the length of the great luminescent floor of the virtual cathedral. Delta-Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground was an anomaly within the world, a dungeon that had no monsters and no real purpose. It just seemed to exist. No one knew of it, it was a hidden hideaway where she could come to think without being caught in the swell of player-crowded dungeons. It was that reason, if for no other, that the Heavy Blade enjoyed this place so much. She could be alone, and right now, that's exactly what she wanted to be.  
  
She had made what she felt was, certainly not the biggest mistake of her life, but right now what seemed a pretty damn significant one, and she needed some time to sort out her thoughts. But that was the problem; her thoughts were jumbling around inside her head in such a rapid spin she could hardly grasp one before ten others overpowered her attempt to get a handle on the situation. It was her fault why she was in such an indecisive state of mind, and she hated it. She was anything BUT indecisive. It's what gave her the strength to complete the often- dangerous missions with her partner Kite as they fought in order to save the coma patients. And now, with the Wave defeated and The World back to normal, with all the coma patients awakened she could be free from the fear and uncertainty, if not for her suddenly foolish lapse of judgment that would not stopped plaguing her.  
  
A sudden chime of a Flash Mail ringing in her ear took her mind temporarily off her own problems. It was from Kite, wanting her to join his party, and it took every ounce of strength in her will to keep from bolting out the door to go to him. She wanted to, she desperately wanted to go to him, to see his caring smile and soft, tender eyes that lit up whenever he looked at her. Damn those eyes, and damn everything about him, that's why she did it. She felt so safe and secure when she was with him; she knew he'd never let anything happen to her, just as she'd stop anything that tried to hurt him. They were partners, but...she couldn't help thinking about him more everyday, and somewhere along their journey, she stopped thinking of him as her partner, because he meant more to her than she had the courage to admit.  
  
Walking to the stone steps that led to the alter where the chained statue of the girl Aura stood, BlackRose turned and quickly sat on the marble stairs, burying her face in her hands as she let the tears fall freely. She didn't want to admit her feelings for the Twin Blade, but everyone had seen it, her friends in the real world, her parents, even Kazu, and he's rather dense. They all saw the change in her, she seemed perpetually plagued with happiness, more than she ever had before. She was the only one who refused to accept it, at least refusing to verbally admit it. So, she sent a simple email, an email to Kite asking about a having a wrap party for all their friends to attend, to celebrate the end of the crisis. It truth, she really only wanted to see him. That's why she wrote the second part of her email, the part that caused her so much contemplative stress...'You know what? I think I may be in love with you. Just kidding. Ha!'  
  
As if! She knew she wasn't joking, and Kite knew her well enough to see through that as well. But she sent it regardless, before she had time to chicken out. The question that was plaguing her so much was, 'why?' Why did he seem to have this effect on her, make her feel like she could fly just with a smile, or a simple word, or even the way we walked or the way he breathed. Just everything about him made her feel more alive than she dared believe possible. So why risk everything, their friendship and partnership just to voice her feelings to him. Why risk ruining all that they had for all that they could become?  
  
"Because I'm stupid, that's why." BlackRose answered her internal question loudly, her voice bouncing back at her from a thousand different angles as if reminding her of her folly. Though, what she couldn't understand was why she let this bother her so much? Neither her nor Kite have met in the real world, at least yet. They might not hit it off at all; of course she knew this was a lie also. She knew Kite as well as he knew her, and if they had nothing else it common, it was that there was chemistry between them that couldn't be described. From the very beginning they were a team. Maybe the feelings that she felt for him were inevitable, after all, she challenged anyone to spend as much time with him as she had and not feel the same.  
  
So then, what was her problem? There seemed to be some invisible barrier that prevented her to move forward, to face her feelings. Perhaps she was afraid of the truth, or afraid of her feelings. Maybe she was just afraid Kite would reject her. Or maybe it was all of these things, each fear rearing itself to attention within her mind and not letting her absolve any of the problems at hand. Or it could simply be that she was cursed to spend the rest of her life as some lovesick ninny.  
  
She was so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't even heard the opening of the large oak doors, or the soft footfalls of the Twin Blade making his way up the aisle and stopping several feet away from the suffering Heavy Blade. It wasn't until BlackRose sensed that familiar feeling; the electric tingling that possessed every fiber of her body before she finally looked up, knowing that Kite was standing before her yet not wanting to believe it.  
  
Like always, Kite stood silently, watching his partner in her own isolated torment, wanting desperately to take whatever burden she was facing away from her, but not knowing what to say to do it. He could tell by simply looking at her, she was torn up about something, but also knew she'd only tell him if she wanted to.  
  
"K...Kite...how long have you been standing there?" BlackRose asked, hurriedly rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. She felt even more vulnerable than before, and hated the deep blush that began to burn her cheeks.  
  
"I just got here..." Kite told her; unable to determine why her eyes were purposely avoiding his. He wanted to look her in her beautiful garnet eyes, to know what was wrong so he could help her out of it. "BlackRose, what's wrong? Please tell me."  
  
BlackRose closed her eyes and turned her face toward the ceiling, anywhere away from Kite's eyes. Even with her eyes closed she feel his eyes on her, could see them so vividly in her mind and choked back another sob. She had no idea if she even had the strength, let alone the words to tell her best friend she was falling for him. She felt stupid and totally irrational. But above all, she was afraid.  
  
Taking a deep breath, BlackRose answered him. "It's nothing, don't worry." She said in a forced calm that sounded completely unnatural, knowing Kite wouldn't be convinced, but like always, he'd let it go. She thought quickly to change the subject, to veer the conversation away from this dangerous territory. "So, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I was worried." Kite said simply, and though she couldn't hear him, she felt him take a few tentative steps towards her. "I'm not sure, but something told me I'd find you here. I haven't seen you much since we beat the Wave, only a couple of times, and you haven't replied to any of my Flash Mails...I was worried about you. I guess I was worried about us...whether you still wanted to hang out with me. I mean...I guess since Kazu's back to normal, you don't have any reason to stay with me. I was scared...still am, about whether you even want to keep our partnership. I mean...I miss that...I miss us." He said shrugging his shoulders.  
  
BlackRose kept her eyes closed, not at all worried about the tears that traced down her cheeks. She was having trouble breathing and wondered how her emotions had so violently taken control of her. Kite took a few more tentative steps towards her, and lowered himself to his knees. Looking up at her face, he raised his hands, his left touching her shoulder in what he hoped would be reassuring for her, and cupping her face in his right hand, his thumb wiping away the tears that fell from her eyes. For a moment, he was trapped by the touch of her skin and forgot this was only a game. Though, with a few exceptions, characters were merely digital reanimations of their players, and despite the tattoos and clothing they each wore, he felt himself holding the real BlackRose, if only in his mind. To his surprise she did not pull away from his touch, but leaned into it.  
  
"Please," Kite whispered, his voice shaking now as well. He realized for some reason he had hurt her, but he didn't know how. "BlackRose, why won't you look at me?"  
  
It was that plea in his voice that caused the Heavy Blade to shake with nerves. And opening her mouth to answer, she found the words stuck in her throat. She wanted to tell him, amidst the gentleness of his touch and caring tone of his words, but she couldn't find her voice to say what she wanted to. Instead, she took his right hand in hers, and pressed it gently against her face, moving her face deeper into his touch. She didn't want to open her eyes, afraid this was only a dream, and if it was just a dream, it was a dream she didn't want to wake from.  
  
"I'm sorry." She managed to whisper, her voice shaking and exhausted. "I'm sorry...I was afraid. I'm sorry I let my fear keep me away from you. I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you...I mean, this seems harder than any of the phases we've fought. I mean, after all of the challenges were done, I finally had to face it, and that scared me." BlackRose blurted, wanting to stop before she spilled her heart and soul to her partner, but willing herself to push forward. "I'm sorry I lied about the email. I wasn't joking when I said I think I'm falling in love with you...I meant it. But I was afraid to let you know. I mean, how do you just tell someone that?"  
  
Kite made a sudden move to speak, but BlackRose stumbled forward, cutting any words he may have said off. "I mean...tell me why this had to happen. I can't stop thinking about you. You're in my mind; you're in my dreams. Every breath I take is yours. And I've been keeping this to myself all this time...and I feel like I'm drowning. I mean, what was I supposed to say? When did I have time to say anything? I was afraid of what you'd say when you found out." BlackRose paused to take a breath before continuing. "I was afraid you'd turn and run when you did find out."  
  
Kite moved forward and pulled BlackRose into his arms, hugging her tightly as if she were the only precious treasure in the world, afraid of losing that treasure. Pressing his cheek against hers, Kite whispered lightly into her ear, "Why would you be afraid of that?" BlackRose let out a sigh, as if all the tension in her body was finally leaving her. Very shakily, she wrapped her arms around Kite and returned his tight embrace.  
  
"Since we beat the Wave, and I haven't...we haven't been together, I've been a wreck." Kite said, hugging BlackRose tighter in the hopes of bringing her closer to him, hoping she understood how much she truly meant to him. "I've only gone through a few dungeons and only finish them half way before quitting. I have trouble concentrating on what I'm doing; with school, with my friends, my family...I'm becoming an inconsistent basket case. And it's only been a little under a week. I..." Kite broke off his words for but a moment, pulling away slightly from BlackRose and resting his forehead against hers, so he could fully lose himself in her endless garnet eyes. "You make me whole."  
  
BlackRose slowly opened her eyes to stare into Kite's eyes, unable to say anything and barely willing to believe what he had just said. It wasn't his words that finally convinced her; it was truth staring out at her from behind his bright, shining eyes that told her everything she wanted to believe. It was as if they turned the page of their story and found the start of new and more wonderful chapter. Every doubt and fear within BlackRose vanished the moment she stared into his endless deep blue eyes, replaced by a torrent of excited nerves that made her feel slightly unsteady, but wholly excited but the unpredictability of what was to come.  
  
"I'm an idiot." She said, thinking back to her emotional battle that seemed to consume her life for the past four days. Now that it was over, it seemed silly, but at the same time, it was honest. Because only Kite could make her lose control that badly.  
  
"No," Kite said, raising his lips to press them lightly against her forehead. "You're perfect."  
  
At that BlackRose smiled her trademark grin that had the power to light up the darkest dungeon and always caused Kite to blush furiously. "No, I'm not perfect, but I'm damn close." She replied, much more her usual self.  
  
Kite smiled widely before resting his forehead against BlackRose's again, staring once more into her eyes, determined to commit every detail of this moment to memory. He found it almost beautiful that both of them were their normal selves again, that they were whole because of each other. That spoke louder volumes than any words they could, for there were no words needed to express what they felt for each other.  
  
"You know, this will make things complicated." Kite said, smiling softly, unwilling to break away from her eyes as he felt himself falling into, half expecting to drown within the Champaign pools he had come to cherish so much.  
  
"Since when have we ever done anything the easy way." She smiled back at him as his lips met hers in a deeply tender, yet powerfully passionate kiss. If they had not been holding each other so tightly, they would have sworn the floor of the church had fallen out from beneath them, but as it was, the earth itself moved, and time had stopped. All that existed within the universe was two hearts beating as one, and the joy that two people who had done so much for everyone else, found within each other.  
  
The End  
  
Author's Note: Yeah...fluffy. WAY fluffy. Well, hop you like it, please R&R. Thanks. 


	2. Chapter 2: Share My World

A/N: My Muse is kicking my arse today. Here is Chapter 2 of 'As Long as I'm With You.' I didn't intend to write a second chapter but a couple of people asked me to write a sequel and out of nowhere I was struck dumb with inspiration, so here it is. I might even make a third chapter, depending on reviews. Also, I'm using the same names I used in my story Broken. Kite is Manari Sato in the real world, BlackRose is Kiri Kasumi. As always, I don't own anything and suing me will get you nothing. Enjoy.  
  
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As Long as I'm With You Chapter 2: Share My World  
  
The young man found himself standing outside the two family flat located in the city of Yokohama, trying desperately to gather the nerve to knock on the door. He had no idea why he was so nervous. After all, his partner had asked him and several of their online friends to come to a wrap party she was throwing to celebrate the end of the crisis, but their last online meeting had ended with a very tender kiss that still made his cheeks burn. But this was the real world, and he wasn't sure what he could expect from himself or BlackRose.  
  
Of course, that was another oddly confusing scenario that had unexpectedly developed. In his efforts to help her plan for the party, he had not gotten around to asking what her real name was, so he imagined how strange it would appear to ask her parents if BlackRose were home. Of course, all things strange had become something of a routine for him. The whole events of The World could hardly be considered within the realm of normalcy.  
  
Checking the address on his hand written note for what seemed the hundredth time, Manari began shuffling his feet uneasily and turned his attention back to his watch realizing again that he was nearly an hour early for the party. Of course, when BlackRose had suggested the party, even before their last meeting, he had committed himself to being the first one to arrive.  
  
Sighing deeply as he willed his feet to move him towards the door, he became suddenly aware that the nervousness in his stomach had somehow worked its way into his chest and made it rather difficult to breath. But even as he forced his feet to propel him forward, his hand moved on its own accord and the sudden knock at the front door brought him out of his self- mulling daydream.  
  
The door slowly opened as Manari realized with sudden apprehension that the knot within his chest had now decided to migrate further north and found itself comfortably situated in his throat. A kindly smiling woman, around the same age as his own mother opened the door and for a moment, the young man thought he had come to the wrong house. The woman answering the door was American, and it took a moment for Manari to realize that BlackRose had once lived in America and had only come to Japan within the past couple of years. But he shook his initial confusion from his mind and stared at the still kindly smiling woman at the door, trying desperately to push the words past the nervous lump in his throat.  
  
But the woman didn't wait for him to say anything before asking her own question. "Are you here for the party dear?"  
  
"Uh...yeah." Manari said, relieved that his mouth was now working.  
  
"Oh good, please come inside, I'll let Kiri know you're here." The woman said, stepping aside and allowing Manari to enter the home after slipping off his shoes. As she left to fetch her daughter, Manari became suddenly aware that the knot that had evacuated his stomach some time ago was replace with what he estimated as 2,000 butterflies.  
  
He knew he shouldn't be nervous. This was his partner after all, and certainly what he would consider as his best online friend, maybe even his best friend period. All they had been through had been a fierce challenge, and they knew the only way they got through it at all was together. But that was the game; not reality...and he couldn't help but wonder what would come of this meeting between the two of them.  
  
Of course, Manari didn't have long to wait as the woman quickly returned, followed by a girl a couple years older than himself. He knew immediately she was the player behind his partner as she looked surprisingly like the fiery Heavy Blade, minus the tattoos and bubblegum pink hair. Her hair was actually a dark brown, and she wore a yellow sundress that seemed to bring attention to her tanned skin.  
  
The two of them stood silently in the entry of the quaint yet pleasantly decorated home, neither saying a word, but meeting each other's eyes with a silent understanding that spoke volumes. A smile tugged at the corner of the young man's face as BlackRose's player grinned openly at him, causing him to blush furiously. Her mother however had not missed the obvious connection these two shared and understood they were more than friends.  
  
"So Kiri, are you going to introduce me to your friend?" Her mother said, causing both teenagers to jump lightly as they forgot she was still standing in the room.  
  
"Oh, right," Kiri said before Manari could interject. "Mom, this is my friend Manari Sato. Manari, this is my mother."  
  
"Manari?" Her mother eyed the young boy before her with a shrewd expression before speaking again. "So this is the young man you keep going on endlessly about. I was beginning to wonder if the boy really existed."  
  
"Mother!" Kiri exclaimed, her eyes round and terrified at her mother's comments, her face glowing crimson as she turned her face shyly toward her guest before dropping her gaze to the floor.  
  
Her mother merely chuckled lightly as she excused herself from the room.  
  
"Uh..." Manari began, his mind desperately seeking to find some subject of conversation to talk their way out of the pit of embarrassment they found themselves in. "I know I'm a bit early for the party and everything...I just...well, I really wanted to come over and see you." He said, regretting the words immediately as his own face now glowed in embarrassment.  
  
Fortunately Kiri was faster to resolve the situation. "Oh no problem. If you don't mind helping me finish setting up for the party...Kazu disappeared again. I know he's accessing The World from somewhere but I'm not sure where. Anyway, I could use a bit of help."  
  
"Sure, what do you need?"  
  
"Well," the young woman started, "We don't have enough room in our backyard, so I picked out a really great spot on the beach to have the party."  
  
"You're having a beach party? But...but I didn't bring any swim trunks." He said, the blush returning to his face again at the thought of seeing Kiri in her own bathing suit and trying desperately to conceal his shock at the thought, knowing she'd quite possibly kill him if she knew where his thoughts were taking him.  
  
"Don't worry, we're not having swim party, but the view is nice anyway. So, I mean, we don't get to talk much about...you know, our real selves. I was...well, I mean, if you don't mind, could I ask you some questions and stuff so we can get to know each other better?" Kiri asked shyly, not sure of her own daring.  
  
"Yeah...I was thinking the same thing, but I wasn't quite sure how to bring it up. I can't lie to you and say your temper doesn't scare me at times." He said, playfully smiling at her, but she only frowned slightly as she turned her eyes toward the sand of the beach they walked upon that led to the spot of their party.  
  
"Well, BlackRose isn't really me...you know? I just act that way online because, well I guess everything we had to face that was the only way I could cope with it all; to act tougher than I was. I hope you didn't think that was the real me."  
  
He walked in silence for a few moments, weighing his words before continuing. He wanted to be careful, because even though they knew each other for the better part of nine months, this was a new stage in their relationship, and it seemed almost as if they were starting over from scratch. "Not really. I saw more of your personality, your real personality than I think any of our friends did. I think I was the only one you actually showed your fear to, but you know...that toughness you always show in The World, that's part of who you are also." He said, pausing a moment before bringing up his own question to ask. "Oh yeah, how did you know my name, and that it was me."  
  
Kiri blushed deeper this time as she closed her eyes, thinking on how to respond before answering. "Well, I...I interrogated Orca until he told me. He told me what your real name was and other stuff, but you look so much like your character I knew it was you. Besides, Kite was always there for me when I needed him to be, so I sort of guessed his player would do the same."  
  
"Yeah, I always will...Kiri." Manari responded, shyly saying her name but realizing how right it sounded coming from his lips. He reached his hand carefully outward and took her hand in his; amazed at how soft and warm it was, but even more amazed that she didn't pull away. He knew she had feelings for him, just as much as he had for her. But this was the real world after all, and he couldn't deny having some reservations about what their budding romance might mean. "So," he said, relieved as she tightened her grip on his hand. "You said Yasuhiko told you some other stuff about me. What did he say?"  
  
Kiri grinned as she turned to face the young man, suggesting she knew more than he wanted her to know. "I'm not telling."  
  
Chuckling lightly, Manari found himself at the location Kiri had obviously picked for the party. Several chairs, a cooler of soft drinks and an outdoor grill were all situated in a semi-circle facing the ocean. He had to admit she was right, this location was perfect.  
  
Kiri pulled away from him, allowing her fingers to trail his as a last lingering touch before moving to the chairs and situating them a bit nicer. Manari moved to help her, and the two worked in silence for some time, arranging and organizing the area until it met her satisfaction.  
  
"There, that should just about do it," Kiri said, taking a seat and staring into the ocean as Manari sat in the chair beside her. "Before everyone gets here Manari, I just want to say thanks for coming."  
  
"You don't have to thank me, I wanted to come. That's why I got here so early. And if you don't have any objections or anything, I was planning to stay after the party and help you clean up." He said, turning to stare at the person who had been his partner online, and if he could have just one wish, he'd have her as his partner offline as well.  
  
"I'd like that." Kiri smiled in a way that showed him all the similarities between the character BlackRose and the player sitting next to him. Reaching out, she took Manari's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. The party was about to begin, the guests were about to arrive, but neither of them seemed to care. It was already a perfect night. 


End file.
